Mueth Produce is SIUE School of Business “TheOther40” Winner

April 10, 2018, 11:10 AM

Civil engineering major Dylan Mueth, of Waterloo, captured first place for his Mueth Produce concept in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s eighth annual “TheOther40” Business Plan Competition. The School of Business hosted the competition and held its final pitch event Monday, April 9 at SIUE’s Morris University Center.

“TheOther40” competition offers SIUE students the opportunity to take a business idea through stages needed to launch a product or service. Participants have access to business resources and develop entrepreneurial skills during the three-month process. TheOther40 derives its name from data that shows approximately 60 percent of startups fail within five years. The program’s goal is to find, engage and support “the other 40” percent.

As the winner, Mueth received $5,000 as part of more than $10,000 in cash prizes awarded to this year’s finalists. Mueth’s concept aims to meet the ever-growing demand for locally grown food. Through its uniquely designed aquaponics system, Mueth Produce will be able to grow fresh produce using less water and less space year-round to supply the local market.

Runner-up Eli Ball of Midway Spark received $3,000. A Rockford native, Ball’s start-up looks to push the limits of human-machine interaction by creating interactive digital systems that use speech, emotions and virtual characters to build engaging experiences. The core technology is re-trainable for different uses and is able to be deployed to phones, mobile apps and websites.

In third place, Preston Walker’s Pursuit Lures was awarded $2,000. Walker, of Edwardsville, makes high quality handmade fishing lures, designed specifically to catch trophy fish. With varying colors, sizes and styles to choose from, every angler can fish in their preferred method.